About ActonArt

WE HAVE LONG NOTED that virtually every master artist of the past received detailed and comprehensive instruction when they were young. Even artists far back in history were trained as apprentices prior to themselves attaining any notoriety. Leonardo and Michelangelo both worked as apprentices for years prior to working independently. More contemporary artists like Picasso, Matisse and many others attended formal art schools where they were taught how to draw and paint according to the standards of the day. At ActonArt, our approach is to teach children the skills needed to draw and give them the confidence to see themselves as "artistic" regardless of the career path they choose. If everyone had just a bit of the skill and soul of an artist, the world might be an even more beautiful place.

ACTONART PROVIDES drawing and fine art instruction to students ranging in age from five years to adults. Our curriculum driven program is designed to teach to the strengths and abilities of general age ranges, however our class sizes are limited and small so we can focus on the needs of individual students as well. Our program and class structure has evolved over the years into a comprehensive presentation of core concepts and developmental skill building projects built around student friendly topics and drawing subjects. We offer classes that are specific to elementary, middle-school, and high-school children, intermediate and advanced level students, and even students who are developing portfolios for further study in art schools and colleges. We also have adult classes for people looking for personal enrichment and individual skills development.

ACTONART HAS BEEN OPERATED as a Massachusetts LLC from the very beginning. We do no fundraising campaigns and receive no discounts or tax breaks available to non-profit organizations. All of our revenue is generated by classes and workshops. The value of our classes and quality of instruction is considered by many current and past student families to be among the highest in the region while our tuition remains competitive with all other community arts and music programs.

Our Mission

OUR MISSION is to provide the highest quality drawing and fine art process and technique instruction to children, teens and adults. We will always endeavor to accomplish this goal by creating a safe, supportive and non-critical environment for students. We believe that everyone can benefit by learning foundational drawing skills whether they intend to use them in their careers or as a means of personal self-expression or enjoyment. Art is one of the oldest and highest accomplishments of mankind. We can think of no better purpose in life than to teach the skills that allow people to express themselves artistically regardless of their fields of study or careers.

History

ESTABLISHED IN 2003ActonArt opened in June of 2003 with 30 students in a summer program. We have grown every year since that time. Currently we have 375+ students that travel from 40+ towns around Acton each week to come to classes. Our schedule currently lists 44 weekly classes. During the past thirteen years we have added a number of classes tailored to various student populations. Most recently we have begun adding Portfolio level classes which are designed to provide high level instruction for students who wish to pursue fine and commercial art careers. In 2013 we added Fashion Drawing and small scale sculpting to our regular class line-up. In 2015 we’ve added a dedicated Watercolor painting class and this fall of 2016 we’re adding “The Art Year”—a remarkable comprehensive class designed to help students transition from student artists working with exercises and training projects into full artists capable of making original artwork expressed in their own personal “voice”.